In some states, it is considered illegal to burn diapers. Single-use diapers contain toxic stuff and human waste. It has been reported that diapers do not burn easily. You might have to burn the diapers twice or sometimes you have to bury them after the second attempt. Burning of the plastic will emit dioxins and toxic fumes. These fumes will spread into your surrounding environment and also in food and water sources. These dioxins are also known as carcinogens.
Unfortunately, diapers cannot be destroyed completely. It is better to wrap them in a bag and put them into the trash. If you will try to put them in fire they will refuse to ignite. We don’t know how much energy will be needed to burn the diapers completely. Research shows that burning of 300kg diapers per day can take 40 tons/yr of CO.
How to dispose of diapers properly?
If you are living with a baby it means you will have tons of dirty diapers. Disposing of these diapers is never a fun thing. It is important how you dispose of them whether you put them is trash or get rid of it on the go. Make sure that you are using a safe and pleasant way.
Almost every mom skips this step. No matter what method you choose for the disposal. The first thing to do is the dumping of the contents of the diaper into the toilet, and then properly rinse the diaper. You can easily do this by gently shaking the diaper into a flush or toilet.
You should wrap the diaper into a tight ball. This will help to secure the remaining waste. Roll it properly so that waste should not get out of the diaper.
When you put the diaper into a sealed container this will trap the odor of the diaper. This will help you to keep your home smell good. You can prevent people from this smell by doing the following things:
You can use a Ziploc bag or any similar plastic bag to trap the smell. For a newborn, a quart size bag will be more than enough. When your child starts to wear large diapers you may have to switch to gallon size bags. This method is a bit expensive but can be a perfect choice during traveling or when you are away from home.
In most of the families, you might find a huge collection of such bags. This can be used as a free diaper disposal tool. This is another way to trap the smell. To keep your environment clean you can also use brown plastic bags for disposal.
Once you have sealed your diaper safely and properly it’s time to toss it or keep it. Simply throw it away if you are at home. If you are out don’t throw. Its smell may disturb others. The best thing to do is keep it in sealed bags and through it when you get back home. There are lots of places where you can throw a diaper such as (Home, a public bathroom, park trash, airplane trash bin, and a friend’s outdoor garbage). You should be careful while tossing your kid’s diaper into places such as (The Doctor’s office, a friend’s kitchen or bathroom, small and enclosed spaces, outside when there is no container).
Dealing with used diapers can be a bit risky. There may be bacteria and viruses. There may be no visible residue on your hands, but there will be some germs. Immediately wash your hands with soap. If you are out of home and don’t have the facility of a sink use a hand sanitizer. It will make sure that your hands are clean and safe and will save you from various diseases.
Is burning a used diaper a good idea?
Burning diapers is not considered as a good idea. Burning a diaper will release dioxins. Disposable diapers contain various dangerous chemicals and plastic lining. If you are burning them in a confined space like at your homes, it can be deadly dangerous for you and your family. If you want to burn them on a large fire outside your homes there would be fewer worries. Those persons who have attempted to burn the diapers report that diaper will not burn in a single attempt. You may have to try again or even you have to bury it after the second attempt.
So try to save the environment. Keep the environment clean. Burning will release an excessive amount of CO that can be a contributor to global warming. Stay safe and keep your living environment and foods safe. Don’t put yourself, your family and your surroundings at stake.
Conclusion
Disposable diapers are the 3rd largest consumer item in the landfill. It usually represents 30% of the non-biodegradable waste. An individual child cannot contribute too much but almost every baby is wearing a diaper so they add almost 2000 pounds of garbage over the course of two years. When this waste is exposed to sun and air it will take hundreds of years to completely decompose.
Diapers can be dangerous for your kids as well. The poorly developed outer layer of the skin of your baby absorbs 50 different chemicals. This can be reduced mainly by using natural baby products or cloth diapers. Cloth diapers are safe as compared to disposable diapers. Disposable diapers can cause rashes to your baby. Cloth diapers will be economical and environment-friendly and you don’t have to worry about their disposal.
Natural products are always cheap and safe to use. They will not cause any problems for you, your baby and for the environment. So it is better to properly dispose of the diapers instead of burning them.